Life, death and time: the life cycles of buildings

This thesis document attempts to explore the idea of decay with regards to buildings; decay in the negative form- the premature demise and death of buildings, the run down nature of certain sites and the unwanted demolition of unadaptable buildings. I also wanted to look at decay in the positive form: mans love affair with ruins, the build up of human patina on a building overtime, uncovering stories and events within its walls. All buildings are capable of such positive decay, which can also be attributed to weathering, however few get the chance to survive this long. In thinking about this, how do we build to last? Looking at infrastructures and they’re nature of survival and durability, I thought about Limerick City and its infrastructural spaces that have with stood the test of time. During construction of the city, Limerick was built a level higher than the original ground plane to allow for the River Shannon to flood underneath without harming the buildings. Thus, a series of culverts, basements and coal bunkers create a secondary subterranean landscape beneath the streets. In thinking about this, I questioned solely building up, and if the entire groundscape is to be constructed, why not take advantage of the spaces that could be uncovered beneath. Thus creating an excavation of subtraction and addition.